Electric gremlins!

Lokky · Post by **Lokky** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:52 pm

The situation is as follow: I installed a 12V power outlet taken off Luna's Buddy 170 into my Stella so I could charge my gps on the ride to Amerivespa.

Immediately after I lost all electrical power when the engine is off. Turning the key in the ignition to on fails to turn on the taillight, pilot light, instrument cluster, horn. The ignition button also fails to engage the solenoid.

At first I assumed it was a bad battery (it sat for three years on a tender with 50 miles before I bought the bike). But I purchased a multimeter and the battery still reads 12V (haven't tested under stress but that doesn't explain the lack of lights and no reaction from the ignition). The fuse is also in good shape.

The 12V outlet is attached to the orange wire that goes to the ignition and is grounded to the body and works just fine when the scoot is running. All lights work when the engine is running but the horn and turn signals are rather anemic, also the lights dim when the brake light or turn signals are on.

Any input as to other things that I may want to check would be really appreciated!

JohnKiniston · Post by **JohnKiniston** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:19 pm

You checked both fuses Lokky, The one under the horncast and the one at the battery box?

Does your Ignition switch work?

double-o-soul · Post by **double-o-soul** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:24 pm

yea the very first thing i thought was blown fuse.

Lokky · Post by **Lokky** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:39 pm

JohnKiniston wrote:You checked both fuses Lokky, The one under the horncast and the one at the battery box?

Does your Ignition switch work?

I didn't realize there was a fuse to check under the horncast. I will have to do some digging there, I bet you that's what's causing it. The only fuse I checked is the one on the battery box.

The ignition switch does not get any response at all.

JohnKiniston · Post by **JohnKiniston** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:44 pm

Lokky wrote:
JohnKiniston wrote:You checked both fuses Lokky, The one under the horncast and the one at the battery box?

Does your Ignition switch work?
I didn't realize there was a fuse to check under the horncast. I will have to do some digging there, I bet you that's what's causing it. The only fuse I checked is the one on the battery box.

The ignition switch does not get any response at all.

While you have the horncast off make sure the electrical portion of the ignition switch is firmly attached to the switch mechanism. I had a bad switch with my 4T and didn't have a brake light until I fixed the switch.

Why not run a wire direct to the battery? You can go through the hole for the turn signal wires from the glovebox to the horn cast, then through the frame to the rear. You may have to remove the plate at the foot brake to fish the cable through there.

If you do that it'd be a great time to also add in a Trail-Tech Temp Gauge or Tach too!

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:24 pm

Hey gang,

I too was under the impression the only fuse was at the battery....I am now looking at the service manual wiring harness and see no fuse.

Any more details?

Lokky, my 8 amp fuse failed with the identicle circuit interruptions you described.
The fuse looked fine but tested open. I broke the glass to inspect the strip and it had seperated from the solder joint at the end cap.
I installed a AGC10......two additional amps required to blow the fuse wont, IMO, damage anything.

No problems since.....that was when we met at Amerivespa, about 1500 miles ago.

Rob

JohnKiniston · Post by **JohnKiniston** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:39 pm

The Fuse only shows up in some of the diagrams. I'm not sure why it's not there in all of them.

It may be a year thing, I did recently see a 2003 Stella without a fuse there but my 2005 has it and so does my 2012.

It's in a little white in-line fuse holder that's stuffed behind the PRD.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:57 pm

Well, my curiousity will get the best of me and I'll end up removing the horncast just to find it.......then I'll have to take it out of the circuit to see what systems it is protecting....

Rob

JohnKiniston · Post by **JohnKiniston** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:03 am

There we go, It's on the Violet wire.

jimmbomb · Post by **jimmbomb** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:51 am

you say that you did get the bike running? and lights work.. horn and turn signals are weak.???
a 3 year old battery that sat on a tender presumably without ever checking water levels...
buy a new 25 dollar battery .. 3 years is a long time for a Stella batery..
I'm voting for battery is outdated.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:59 am

Well JohnKiniston,

I see the 2.5 amp fuse in your diagram.......neither of my two diagrams show it or the component called a 'Switching Module' either.

Looks like LML likes to use violet for many functions too.

Someday, when I feel like torturing my machine I'll see if mine has this fuse.

Thanks,
Rob

JohnKiniston · Post by **JohnKiniston** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 2:03 am

Looks like I've been calling out the wrong box of magic smoke under the Horncast. It's the switching module that has the fuse behind it, Not the PRD.

See inline:

This box is what switches the bike between running the lights off AC from the stator and DC from the battery.

Lokky · Post by **Lokky** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 2:19 am

jimmbomb wrote:you say that you did get the bike running? and lights work.. horn and turn signals are weak.???
a 3 year old battery that sat on a tender presumably without ever checking water levels...
buy a new 25 dollar battery .. 3 years is a long time for a Stella batery..
I'm voting for battery is outdated.

This is what I have thought of at first but the battery still holds 12V 3 months after purchasing the bike (I don't have a place to attach it to a tender so I am assuming that the bike has kept it charged over this time). Water levels are actually good in it.
It may not have enough juice to maintain 12V during ignition, but it should at the very least try to engage the solenoid. Instead there is absolutely no reaction to hitting the ignition.

I'll be checking that second fuse and replacing both for good measure as soon as I get a free day from grad school. Cheers.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 3:19 am

If the battery reads 12v no-load, you should at least get instrument/neutral lights when you switch on the ignition, even if the battery is too hoked to buzz the solenoid or crank the starter. It's sounding more like a fuse (good news) or a short or broken wire (bad news).

50CC Cape Cod · Post by **50CC Cape Cod** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:54 am

May want to check the contacts at the starter and make sure ground is clean
and tight as well as any other electrical contacts on that circuit which could be draining or shortening out the current. If you put a volt meter on the starter and hit the switch will see how much voltage is getting to the starter.
i had a problem with my kymco cobra and the starter was receiving voltage but the starter was stuck. After cleaning and getting it to spin was OK.